What Milwaukee Bucks should target in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade

The Milwaukee Bucks are navigating the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation, but there isn't much they can do right now.

The Bucks are trying to figure out what a trade could look like if Antetokounmpo asks out, but it should warrant a king's ransom. Here's a look at what some Milwaukee Bucks On SI writers think the Bucks should get in a trade for Antetokounmpo.

Jeremy Brener

The Bucks can go in one of two ways if Giannis were to be traded soon. They can either try and get a lot of picks back or they can go for players.

If they were to trade Antetokounmpo to a team like the Knicks, they'd be going for players like OG Anunoby or Mikal Bridges. However, it is in the best interest of the Bucks to completely start over and target more picks than players. They can still trade Antetokounmpo to the Knicks, but they would need a third team to possibly re-route the Knicks package in order to get a full rebuild underway.

Trading Giannis wouldn't signal a re-tooling. It would be a full restart from scratch and the Bucks would need as many picks as possible to try and hit on someone in the draft, much like they did with Antetokounmpo in 2013.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on from the bench while recovering from an injury | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Ti Windisch

Talented young players and draft capital, with at least one asset being premium, is the bare minimum the Bucks should take in a Giannis trade. I’d define premium as a pick with high or certain probability to convey in the top 10 in the next two seasons, or a young player with real star potential (more Matas Buzelis than Noa Essengue).

Future picks are great, but the Bucks have shown no ability to win without Giannis and don’t control their own pick for half a decade, so a more immediate return is crucial if they do end up trading their franchise player.

Tony Mejia

The Bucks would be best served by unloading another massive salary like Myles Turner or Kyle Kuzma in addition to moving Giannis, which means a blockbuster, multi-player trade would have to be orchestrated for Milwaukee to maximize its return on their all-time leading scorer.

Ideally, Milwaukee would get back a superstar type, a young player or two on a manageable contract, an expiring contract for cap relief and draft capital. Appeasing Antetokounmpo by sending him somewhere he wants to be that can meet these conditions won't be easy, but can be done.

Jeremy Brener

Ti Windisch

Tony Mejia

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